Aircraft Carriers: Construction

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects construction of the two new aircraft carriers to commence.

Quentin Davies: Construction is already under way, and will continue with the First Cut of Steel in the main shipyards of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance scheduled for 2009.

Armed Forces: Deployment

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what average length of time a  (a) Royal Marine Officer and  (b) Royal Marine spent away from home over the latest 30 month period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The average number of days that Royal Marine individuals are recorded as being separated from where they are based over the last 30 months from 1 May 2006 to 31 October 2008 is as follows:
	
		
			   Days 
			 Royal Marine Officers 154 
			 Royal Marine Other Ranks 169

Joint Strike Fighter

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 676W, on the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, when he expects the through life cost of the Joint Strike Fighter programme to be established.

Quentin Davies: Through life costs will not be established until the JSF support solution is sufficiently mature, and will be dependant on the number of aircraft the UK purchases to meet its defence needs. We do not expect to make any commitments in this respect until operational test and evaluation of JSF is complete.

2018 World Cup Bid Board

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance his Department has given on cross-party working to the 2018 World Cup Bid Board; what commitments he has received from attendees at board meetings on abiding by such guidance; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 16 December 2008
	Cross party support for the 2018 World cup bid is very important. Officials at my Department have had discussions with the interim bid team about how best to ensure all political parties are kept informed of progress with the bid. England 2018 Ltd. is in the process of recruiting a director of government liaison, whose key responsibilities include one to,
	"Ensure all relevant Party Leaders ... are regularly briefed on the progress of the Bid."

Departmental Energy

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to reduce the amount of energy it wastes.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department has implemented a series of initiatives to manage and reduce our energy wastage. These have included new boilers, chillers, air handling units, lighting and fan coil units.
	The Department achieved accreditation under the Carbon Trust Energy Efficiency Accreditation scheme in December 2007. The scheme recognises organisations efforts in measuring, managing and reducing its energy usage.

Horserace Totalisator Board

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings he and Ministerial colleagues have had with Treasury Ministers and officials on the Tote since April 2008.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have had a number of meetings on the Tote since April 2008 at which HM Treasury has been represented.

Music: Young People

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government has taken to promote music for young people.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 16 December 2008
	The Government promotes music for youth through the Department for Children, Schools and Families' package of funding for music education, which was announced in November last year. This totals £332 million over three years and includes investment in singing, new instruments and free music lessons.
	The Music Mentoring programme, which Youth Music leads on, also seeks to engage young people through a mentoring programme linked to music-making activity and has been allocated £333,000 per year by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport until 2011.

Ports: Overseas Visitors

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research his Department has commissioned on the impressions made by UK ports of entry on foreign visitors.

Barbara Follett: Welcome is one of the key strands of 'Winning' the tourism strategy for 2012 and beyond. In addition, the Welcome to Britain initiative has identified that improvements to our welcome are needed at ports of entry. VisitBritain, in partnership with England's regional development agencies and other members of the Welcome to Britain Steering Group, are currently running a pilot programme at Bristol airport, Manchester airport and Portsmouth port which focuses on improving the Welcome at ports of entry. The pilot will be completed in early 2009, with the intention to roll out the scheme further.
	Also, VisitBritain is measuring customer satisfaction through additional questions, on the topic of welcome, in the Civil Aviation Authority's international passenger survey. The survey, aimed at international passengers departing from major airports, is in its third wave, with a year end set of results due at the end of April 2009.

Departmental Manpower

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 882W, on departmental manpower, what the responsibilities are of the people employed by his Department who are not civil servants.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office employs 16.5 people who are not civil servants (measured in full-time equivalents). Of these, 13.5 full-time equivalent staff are employed to undertake duties within the State Pathologists Office. The remaining staff are employed in the Crown Solicitors Office and the Public Prosecution Service.

Departmental Official Visits

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1319W, on official visits, on which dates he  (a) has held meetings with the Irish Government and  (b) has been in the Republic of Ireland on official business in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: In the course of my duties, I am in regular contact with the Irish government.

Departmental Television

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 885-6W, on television, how much his Department spent on licence fees in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: The amount spent on television license fees for the Department in the financial year 2007-08 excluding its Agencies and Executive NDPBs, was £3,248.

Religion

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1321W, on religion 
	(1)  with the leaders of which denominations he has had official meetings in the last 12 months;
	(2)  on which days he had official meetings with church leaders in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: I meet with leaders of all of Northern Ireland's main churches as appropriate.

USA

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  with reference to the answer of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1321W, on the USA, how many meetings he has had with members of the incoming US administration;
	(2)  what meetings he has had with officials of the US administration in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: The United States has played and continues to play a critical role in the political process, further progress towards the devolution of policing and justice and investment in Northern Ireland. Successive Secretaries of State have worked closely with the United States and maintained regular contact to discuss policy. I continue this policy.

A21: East Sussex

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the proposed timetable is for improvements to the A21; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: holding answer 15 December 2008
	As advised in the Secretary of State's announcement on 16 July 2008, the proposed timetable for improvements to the A21 are:
	A21 Tonbridge to Pembury Dualling: 2012-13;
	A21 Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst Improvement: 2012-13.
	This timetable is subject to the satisfactory completion of the necessary statutory processes, the availability of funding, and confirmation of priorities from the current South East England Regional Authority's Regional Funding Allocation advice refresh process.
	The Highways Agency are investigating the potential for an earlier start of works in 2011-12 for the A21 Tonbridge to Pembury scheme.
	There are no dates for the start of works of other A21 schemes.

Biofuels

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the written ministerial statement of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, column 67WS, on the Draft Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2009, 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on UK biofuel producers of correcting the discrepancy in the 2007 Order  (a) for the current obligation period and  (b) for the 2009-10 obligation period;
	(2)  whether Ministers or officials from the Department met representatives of biofuel producers to discuss the Government's response to the discrepancy in the 2007 Order;
	(3)  whether Ministers or officials from the Department met representatives of obligated suppliers to discuss the Government's response to the discrepancy in the 2007 Order;
	(4)  what communications he has had with the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments on correcting the discrepancy in the 2007 Order.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government are currently consulting on proposals for amending the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007 (2007 No. 3072) to rectify the discrepancy issue by extending the definition of "relevant hydrocarbon oil". The Department wrote to stakeholders on 13 November 2008 to inform them of proposals to rectify the discrepancy for the next obligation year (2009-10). Due to the constraints of the primary legal powers the Department is not proposing to deal retrospectively with this issue for the current obligation year (2008-09).
	As a result of the discrepancy the Renewable Fuels Agency estimate that around half of the fossil fuel supplied may not be taken into account in calculating suppliers' renewable transport obligations. The extent of any shortfall in biofuel supplied will not be known until the end of the obligation year.
	Following the identification of the discrepancy the Government informed both obligated and biofuel suppliers about this issue. Officials within the Department for Transport are continuing to engage with these suppliers about the effects of the discrepancy and the proposed solution. The draft amendment order will be subject to the affirmative procedure and the proposal to deal with the discrepancy will be considered by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments in due course.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue generated by Dartford Crossing tolls has been spent on transport infrastructure projects in the surrounding area in the last five years.

Paul Clark: Since 2003, when the charging scheme was introduced at the Dartford Crossing, the Department for Transport has made available between £1.75 million and £2 million per year to Thurrock and Kent county councils to help deliver local transport projects.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 831-33W, on departmental ICT, what the  (a) expected completion date and  (b) estimated cost was of each of the projects at their outset.

Geoff Hoon: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is not undertaking any IT projects.
	The Department for Transport does not hold centrally collected records on IT projects, which are managed locally. The tables therefore show available information on major projects underway within DFT Central and each of its agencies.

Departmental Work Experience

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many individuals have worked in his Department on  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid work experience or internships in each of the last three years; on average how many hours a week were worked by such people in each year; what types of work each was involved in; what proportion were in full-time education; what proportion did not complete their set period of work experience; and how much those who received remuneration were paid on average per week in each year.

Geoff Hoon: The central Department and its agencies employment of  (a) paid work experience or internship placements and  (b) unpaid work experience or internships in each of the past three years is shown in the following table:
	The Highways Agency maintains no central record of the number of students that have been placed in voluntary work experience.
	The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and the Driving Standards Agency can provide the information requested only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Department for Transport work experience and internship placements, last three calendar years 
			  Work Experience or Internship  Number of participants  Paid/  u npaid  If  p aid, what weekly wage  Job role and business area  Weekly h ours  Calendar year  In full time education  Individual completed set period 
			 Internship 8 Yes (1)— Administrative 36 2006 Yes Yes 
			 Internship 1 Yes £290 Variety for experience 37 2006 Yes Yes 
			 Internship 7 Yes (1)— Administrative 36 2007 Yes Yes 
			 Internship 2 No n/a IT Support 37 2007 Yes Yes 
			 Internship 2 Yes (1)— Administrative 36 2008 Yes Yes 
			 Internship 2 No n/a IT Support 37 2008 Yes Yes 
			 Work experience 15 No n/a Administrative 37 2006 Yes Yes 
			 Work experience 1 No n/a Sorting mail 15 2007 Yes Yes 
			 Work Experience 1 No n/a Administrative 35 2007 Yes Yes 
			 Work experience 18 No n/a Administrative 37 2007 Yes Yes 
			 Work experience 1 No n/a Sorting mail 15 2008 Yes Yes 
			 Work experience 21 No n/a Administrative 37 2008 Yes Yes 
			 (1) Unavailable: Responsibility delegated to the line and not held centrally. 
		
	
	Opportunities to undertake paid and unpaid work experience are provided by individual Government departments as a means of providing an introduction to the Civil Service and a way of helping individuals to make longer-term career decisions.
	Some work experience schemes are aimed at individuals with an interest in a specific area or profession such as the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or the Government Legal Service. Others, such as the diversity internship programme which has the summer placement scheme for individuals with a registered disability and the summer development programme for individuals from a minority ethnic background, are available for graduates or undergraduates who might be considering the fast stream scheme.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the number of taxed and insured cars that are regularly driven by a driver not included on the insurance certificate.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 8 December 2008
	A vehicle may be driven by the main policy holder, a named driver on his or her policy, or by any driver whose policy has a clause that allows that driver to drive any other vehicle with the owner's permission (commonly referred to as DOV cover) on a third-party liability basis.
	No information is kept on the number of vehicles that are driven by a person who is not named on the insurance certificate.
	We estimate around 2.2 million vehicles are being driven uninsured. The wider issue of uninsured driving (is being tackled through a number of measures for example police powers to seize uninsured vehicles and/or court prosecution.

Heathrow Airport

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the Government will revise its modelling of the economic case for a third runway at Heathrow to take account of the most recent estimates from the International Energy Agency of oil prices in 2030.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The estimated net benefits of additional capacity at Heathrow will be updated in the impact assessment that will be published alongside the 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport' decision, in January 2009.
	The Department for Transport's forecasts use projections of oil prices from the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). BERR's most recent projections (May 2008) are available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46071.pdf.
	The IEA 'World Energy Outlook 2008' report projects a price of $120 per barrel in 2030 (expressed in 2007 prices). This falls within the BERR range of $45-$150 per barrel.

Higher Civil Servants

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department paid in annual basic wages to staff in senior Civil Service grades at 31 March  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Geoff Hoon: The annual basic wages of senior civil servants in the Department for Transport at 31 March 2006 and 31 March 2007 were £14,299,021 and £15,224,781 respectively.

Lorries: Standards

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prohibitions have been issued to heavy goods vehicles (HGVs)  (a) with mechanical defects,  (b) that are overweight and  (c) where drivers' hours have been exceeded in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) region where the accident took place, (ii) the HGV's country of origin and (iii) whether the HGV was left or right hand drive.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) was formed in April 2003.
	The number of prohibitions issued to heavy goods vehicles  (a) with mechanical defects,  (b) that are overweight and  (c) where drivers' hours have been exceeded since 2003, broken down by (i) region, (ii) heavy goods vehicles country of origin has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	VOSA does not record details of whether a prohibition notice is issued to a left or right hand drive vehicle.

Road Traffic: Halton

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effects on the North West road network of a temporary closure of the Silver Jubilee Bridge in Halton lasting  (a) one week,  (b) two weeks and  (c) one month.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport is not aware of any scheduled temporary closures of the bridge. The management of the Silver Jubilee Bridge is a matter for Halton borough council.
	However, as part of the Department's value for money (VfM) assessment of a business case submitted by Halton borough council in 2006 for funding towards a major maintenance scheme on the Silver Jubilee Bridge, we assessed the authority's estimate of the effect of a permanent closure of the bridge against the proposed maintenance work. Temporary closures were not assessed.

West Coast Railway Line

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the planned West Coast Main Line improvements.

Paul Clark: The estimated full cost for the upgrade of the West Coast Main Line remains £9.9 billion as set in the 2003 Government Strategy for the route. £8.8 billion has been spent to date and £1 billion is being provided for the 2009 to 2014 period for power supplies, Stafford and Bletchley works.

Boilers: Safety

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to ensure that boilers  (a) are being fitted to the specifications of building regulations and  (b) checked regularly to prevent deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning;
	(2)  if she will consider bringing forward legislative proposals to make the installation of carbon monoxide alarms a legal requirement  (a) in publicly-owned housing and  (b) in the construction of all new homes.

Iain Wright: Our priority is to prevent exposure to carbon monoxide in the first place. Building Regulations are in place to ensure appliances are safely installed and properly ventilated. Carbon monoxide detectors and alarms will never be a substitute for proper installation and maintenance of combustion appliances.
	Part J of the Building Regulations 2000 (Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems) sets requirements for an adequate supply of air for combustion and for adequate provision for the discharge of the products of combustion to the outside air. The Regulations in England and Wales are inspected and enforced by building control bodies. My Department has also authorised a number of competent person self-certification schemes which help ensure that installers are aware of the standards applicable to boiler installation and are competent to install boilers to those standards. Competent person scheme operators monitor the work of their members to make sure it complies with the requirements.
	Private landlords are responsible for maintaining their properties, including the safety of gas and electrical appliances and the fire safety of furniture and furnishings provided under the tenancy. All private landlords are required by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 to ensure that all gas appliances are maintained in good order and that an annual gas safety check is carried out by a registered tradesman. This requirement is enforced by the local authority.
	We expect to let a research contract early in the new year to look at the changes and developments that have taken place in relation to carbon monoxide detectors since our last review in 2002. The findings of this work will feed into a formal consultation on Part J which we intend to publish in mid 2009.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 5 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 545-6W, on Departmental ICT, what the  (a) expected completion date and  (b) expected cost was at the outset of each project.

Sadiq Khan: The required information for the relevant projects is as follows:
	
		
			  Communities and Local Government (including regional coordination unit and Government offices in the regions) 
			  Project  Expected completion date at the outset of the project  Expected costs at the outset of the project (£000) 
			 Website Rationalisation (incorporating Info41ocal Rebuild project) June 2008 3,200 
			 Fire Incident Recording System December 2006 1,300 
			 Data Interchange Hub Release 2 March 2009 1,273 
			 EDRMS December 2006 699 
			 SAP Implementing Benefits February 2009 364 
			 Smarter Business Process (SAP Enhancement) April 2008 350 
			 Business Intelligence System Technical Upgrade February 2009 351 
			 PIMS HR e-Strategy Implementation October 2008 303 
			 Government Offices National Indicator Analysis tool—scoping December 2008 62 
			 Government Offices Human Resources Database—Phase 2 March 2009 241 
			 Government Offices Online Performance Management System—Phase 2 March 2009 82 
			 Government Offices Contacts Database March 2009 40 
		
	
	
		
			  Agencies of the Department 
			  Project  Expected completion date at the outset of the project  Expected costs at the outset of the project (£000) 
			  Planning Inspectorate   
			 Fast Track Householder Appeals—Stage 2 (Implementation) May 2009 175 
			 Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and Disaster Recovery (DR) January 2009 142 
			 Charging for Appeals April 2009 100 
			
			  QEII Conference Centre   
			 Meeting Matrix September 2007 65

Greenbelt: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will meet the hon. Member for Castle Point and a delegation of borough councillors to discuss green belt preservation in Castle Point Borough.

Iain Wright: If the hon. Member writes to me setting out the specific issues he would like to discuss, I will be happy to consider whether such a meeting would be appropriate in light of the Secretary of State's formal role in the planning system. The Government's policy on green belt is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2.

Homelessness: Reading Berkshire

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were recorded as  (a) homeless and  (b) rough sleepers in the Reading borough council area during the month of December in each of the last 10 years.

Iain Wright: Information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data collected includes the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	The question asks for figures for the month of December. The total number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty ('acceptances') are collected on a quarterly basis and not broken down to a monthly level, and therefore our figures cover the period October to December. Numbers in temporary accommodation are as of 31 December for each year.
	The following table lists the number of acceptances and number of households in temporary accommodation for Reading local authority, in quarter four 1998 to 2008;
	
		
			   Number of acceptances October-December  Households in temporary accommodation on 31 December 
			 1998 121 388 
			 1999 88 1— 
			 2000 116 441 
			 2001 105 477 
			 2002 91 448 
			 2003 70 339 
			 2004 51 239 
			 2005 69 214 
			 2006 39 177 
			 2007 39 144 
			 (1) Denotes data not reported by authority 
		
	
	Annual rough sleeping figures for Reading Borough council have been collected since 1998 and are published yearly in September. The figures are based on local authority street counts.
	
		
			   Number of rough sleepers in Reading borough council 
			 1998 13 
			 1999 5 
			 2000 9 
			 2001 18 
			 2002 7 
			 2003 4 
			 2004 6 
			 2005 11 
			 2006 2 
			 2007 15 
			 2008 6

Homelessness: Reading Berkshire

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was allocated to Reading Borough Council for tackling homelessness in each of the last 10 years; and what information her Department holds on how that funding has been spent.

Iain Wright: Revenue funding for local authority homelessness services is principally provided through revenue support grant which is unhypothecated. The Government additionally provide homelessness grants to support all local housing authorities' strategies for tackling and preventing all forms of homelessness, including rough sleeping.
	The following table shows total allocations of homelessness grant to Reading borough council for each of the years from 2003-04 to 2008-09.
	
		
			   Homelessness  g rant (£) 
			 2003-04 393,339 
			 2004-05 250,000 
			 2005-06 250,000 
			 2006-07 250,000 
			 2007-08 250,000 
			 2008-09 (1)250,000 
			 (1) To date 
		
	
	Prior to 2003-04 funding was given direct to voluntary organisations. The Department did not provide any direct funding to voluntary organisations in Reading.
	In 2003 every local authority was required to put in place a homelessness strategy to prevent homelessness and provide accommodation and support. It is for local authorities to decide how to use their homelessness grant to effectively deliver their strategies.
	Reading borough council also received £878,000 of Hostels Capital Improvement Programme funding over three years to 2007-08.
	On 5 December 2007, we announced homelessness grant funding of at least £150 million over the three years 2008-11 to continue to support local authorities to tackle and prevent homelessness. This is the biggest ever cash injection for homelessness services.

Homelessness: Reading Berkshire

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many rough sleepers there were in the Reading Borough Council area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The latest official figures published in September 2008 show six rough sleepers were found in the street count carried out by Reading borough council.

Housing: Low Incomes

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will provide a breakdown by funding stream of the £775 million being brought forward from the 2010-11 budget for affordable housing in each Government office region.

Iain Wright: Over £8 billion has been allocated for the National Affordable Housing Programme over the Spending Review period 2008-11. £150 million is being brought forward from the 2010-11 budget and is being allocated to individual regions on a pro rata basis in line with the formulaic allocation of the funding over the whole 2008-11 period as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 East 14.2 
			 East Midlands 6.2 
			 London 62.5 
			 North East 3.2 
			 North West 10.2 
			 South East 24.3 
			 South West 14.3 
			 West Midlands 9.0 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 6.2 
		
	
	These are indicative figures and do not impact on the overall three year indicative allocations to regions. The spending of the allocations will be subject to appropriate bids being agreed and delivered through the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
	Regional Development Agencies will consider bringing forward, from 2010-11, up to £100 million nationally to provide a fiscal stimulus to regional and economic development. They are working closely with the HCA to see how bringing forward funding can make the greatest impact, whilst representing best value on key regeneration schemes that have been highlighted as being at risk.
	A further £80 million in 2009-10 will assist the HCA with continuing to bring forward land development schemes of national and regional importance. The HCA will ensure this additional funding is concentrated on those schemes which provide the greatest impact and value for money. The HCA is currently reviewing with my officials which schemes to assist. Decisions will be made in the new year about the process for bringing forward some £250 million Decent Homes and £175 million major repairs allowance funding from 2010-11.
	Some £20 million funding for the Community Infrastructure Fund will also be brought forward into the current financial year, for schemes in the following regions:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 East 4.8 
			 East Midlands 10 
			 London 1.3 
			 South East 3.6 
			 Unallocated 4.2

Housing: Regeneration

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many new build properties were built in each Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder area in 2007-08; and what amount of central grant contribution was made  (a) towards each new build unit and  (b) across the programme;
	(2)  how many properties were refurbished in each Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder area in 2007-08; and what the average cost of refurbishment was  (a) in each Pathfinder area and  (b) across the programme;
	(3)  how many properties were demolished in each Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder area in 2007-08; and what the average cost of demolition was  (a) in each Pathfinder area and  (b) across the programme;
	(4)  how many properties were acquired in each Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder in 2007-08; and what the average cost of acquisition was  (a) in each Pathfinder and  (b) across the programme.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 4 June 2008,  Official Report, column 990W. Information on average costs is not held in a readily available format and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support her Department is providing for home improvement agencies; what the contribution is of the Supporting People budget to the work of such agencies; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the resources available to assist people seeking to modify their homes in order to be able to remain resident in them.

Iain Wright: The Government recognise the importance of adequate resources being made available to provide home adaptations enabling vulnerable people to remain living comfortably and safely in their homes. We have made additional funding of over £30 million available from 2009 which will go to support local agencies, such as home improvement agencies (HIAs), to help older people with minor repairs and adaptations. This is one of a number of initiatives for the promotion and development of HIAs and better home repairs and adaptations services included in 'Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods—A National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society', published earlier this year, addressing the housing and related service needs of older people.
	My Department has provided new funding for a three-year contract for a national body for HIAs from September 2008 for development of the HIA sector. We have also sponsored a future home improvement agency project, the findings of which were published in September. This project aims to set out a broad agenda for the evolution of the HIA sector to its next level. As a way of encouraging and developing HIAs and their work, it highlights what is already being done well by HIAs and suggests models for wider application.
	The Government also recognise the importance of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) programme in enabling people to live as comfortably and independently as possible in their homes, that is why funding in this area has increased significantly. Funding since 1997 has more than doubled from £57 million to £146 million in 2008. The budget will rise by a further £10 million in the next two years increasing to £166 million by 2010, an increase of over 30 per cent. However, the DFG budget should not be seen as the sole source of funding for adaptations, and local authorities are expected to also contribute towards these costs as they have always done so.
	In addition, the Government's Supporting People (SP) programme allows local authorities to fund handy person schemes for their local area if an authority wishes to do so. In 2006-07 there was a local authority spend on HIAs through SP funding of over £15.413 million. The SP ring-fenced grant conditions will be removed from 2009-10 to enable local authorities to better meet the needs of vulnerable clients, including older people, by the use of more flexible innovative services.

Housing: Sales

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the level of potential duplication between property information questionnaires and questions asked later in the conveyancing process.

Iain Wright: The Property Information Questionnaire will provide buyers, right at the start of the buying process, with the basic, useful information about a property that will help to inform their decision to view a property or make an offer. It will also act as a 'trigger' for seeking more information further down the line.
	It is not intended to replace the checks and assurances undertaken by property professionals as the transaction is finalised.

Mersey Gateway

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to announce her decision on Halton Council's capitalisation bid for the Mersey Gateway.

John Healey: In line with the timetable set out in the Government's guidance, the Department expects to announce the decision on Halton borough council's capitalisation bid for the Mersey Gateway by the end of January 2009.

Microgeneration

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  with reference to the written ministerial statement of 13 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 20-21WS, on town and country planning, what progress the Government have made in implementing permitted development rights for air source heat pumps and micro-wind turbines;
	(2)  when she plans to bring forward delegated legislation to allow air source heat pumps and micro-wind turbines into the permitted development system.

Iain Wright: The Prime Minister has received two recent letters from members of the public on the noise thresholds under permitted development for householder air-source heat pumps and micro wind turbines. The Government are committed to permitting the installation of small wind turbines and air source heat pumps without the need for a planning application. However it is important we set the right criteria for noise levels for wind turbines and pumps on homes under permitted development and resolve the issue of possible interference with aviation communication systems. The Minister for Housing and Planning will make a statement to Parliament in the new year.

Regeneration: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times the cross-departmental working group on coastal towns has met since February 2008; where each meeting was held; who attended each meeting; and what the outcomes of each meeting were.

John Healey: The cross-departmental working group has met once since February 2008 on 23 July 2008. The next meeting is scheduled for January 2009.
	The 23 July meeting was held at CLG headquarters at Eland House, London. In addition to CLG officials, it was attended by officials from the following Departments and organisations.
	BERR
	DEFRA
	DCMS
	DIUS
	DOH
	DWP
	Commission for Rural Communities
	Environment Agency
	Government Office for the South East
	Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government
	South East Economic Development Agency
	Margate Renewal Partnership
	Thanet District Council
	Professor Steve Fothergill, Sheffield Hallam University
	The main outcomes from the meeting were:
	agreement to publish the results of a benchmarking exercise of seaside towns, undertaken for CLG by Professor Steve Fothergill;
	in partnership with the RDA-Led Coastal Towns Network, to set up two sub groups to improve the evidence-base on the challenges and opportunities facing coastal towns. One sub group is looking at the role of strategic mechanisms and approaches like local area agreements and sub regional partnerships in improving coastal town regeneration outcomes. The other sub group is looking at options for raising employment and skill levels in coastal locations; and
	to invite Departments and agencies represented on the working group to provide updates on current and proposed initiatives relevant to the support of regeneration and sustainable development in coastal towns.

Animal Welfare

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 16 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 968-9W, on the Animal Welfare Act 2006, when he expects the secondary legislation referred will be introduced.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 15 December 2008
	DEFRA keeps under review the timetable of secondary legislation. The following table provides a list of made and proposed secondary legislation and codes.
	
		
			  Secondary legislation  Date into force 
			 The Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007 6 April 2007 
			 The Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (England) Regulations 2007 6 April 2007 
			 The Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 3 June 2008 
			 Commencement order bringing into force offences relating to the recording of animal fights 6 April 2009 
			 Welfare code of practice on cats 6 April 2009 
			 Welfare code of practice on dogs 6 April 2009 
			 Welfare code of practice on equines 6 April 2009 
			 Welfare code of practice on private keeping of primates 1 October 2009 
			 Welfare code of practice on the rearing of gamebirds 1 October 2009 
			 Regulations on the welfare of racing greyhounds 6 April 2010

British Waterways

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the effect of the sale of British Waterways' property portfolio on the finances of British Waterways;
	(2)  what plans are in place for selling the property portfolio of British Waterways; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the timetable is for the sale of British Waterways' property portfolio;
	(4)  if he will bring forward proposals to compensate British Waterways for the reduction in annual income from its property portfolio if its property is sold.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 16 December 2008
	The Treasury Operational Efficiency Programme Review will consider the scope for improved asset management across Government and will provide an update on progress by the April 2009 Budget. The scope of this Review will include British Waterways' non-operational property portfolio, and business model, to consider how its assets might best deliver public value. The Review will also consider any implications of options considered for the long-term funding of British Waterways' statutory responsibilities carefully. No conclusions have yet been drawn regarding any possible disposal of British Waterways' property portfolio.

Christmas

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on  (a) departmental Christmas parties and  (b) staff entertainment in the last three years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA does not pay for Christmas parties for staff. The core-Department's financial system does not recognise the expenditure categories of staff entertainment or entertainment.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on Ministerial hospitality in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06,  (c) 2006-07 and  (d) 2007-08, expressed in current prices.

Huw Irranca-Davies: From information held centrally the core-Department spent the following sums on ministerial hospitality for the years in question expressed in current prices taking 2004 as the base year:
	
		
			   Expenditure (£) 
			 2004-05 15,521.31 
			 2005-06 18,445.98 
			 2006-07 13,346.71 
			 2007-08 4,906.65

Departmental Property

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on maintaining its domestic properties in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 10 December 2008
	 The Department has expended the following amounts on maintaining its residential dwellings in each of the last five years:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004 18,104 
			 2005 107,131 
			 2006 24,378 
			 2007 22,938 
			 2008 26,997 
		
	
	The figure for 2005 includes the Department's contractually agreed contribution to the Warwick Horticultural Research Institute's (HRI) cost in backlog maintenance of their cottages at Wellesbourne, Warwickshire. Prior to the transfer to the new ownership in March 2004, the dwellings were held by DEFRA and were used to house staff working for the HRI.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to increase the level of preparedness of the public to manage incidents of flooding in the course of implementation of the recommendations made in the Pitt Report on flooding.

Huw Irranca-Davies: We have already taken a number of steps in response to Sir Michael Pitt's findings and will be publishing a detailed response setting out implementation to date and further actions shortly.

Methadone

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children who were subject of serious case reviews died from ingesting methadone in each of the last three years.

Beverley Hughes: Child deaths which result in a Serious Case Review being undertaken may be due to a range of causes but it is not possible precisely to quantify the number of methadone related child deaths from the information held by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Serious case reviews should always be conducted when a child dies and abuse or neglect is known or suspected to factor in the death.

Futurebuilders: Catz Club

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood, of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 16W, on Catz Club, for what reasons Futurebuilders decided to terminate its relationship with Catz Club.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him on 24 November,  Official Report, column 1124W.

Human Trafficking

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) arrests and  (b) convictions there have been for human trafficking offences under Operation Pentameter 2.

Jacqui Smith: Of the 528 arrests as a result of Operation Pentameter 2, 99 were for human trafficking. Many of those arrested were charged with offences other than human trafficking, such as causing or inciting prostitution for gain and money laundering offences.
	It is not possible to disaggregate the conviction figures to provide a breakdown of convictions resulting from Operation Pentameter 2 and many cases arising from that operation are still progressing through the criminal justice system.

Textiles: Manpower

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people are employed in the  (a) weaving,  (b) spinning,  (c) dying,  (d) finishing and making-up and  (e) silk industry sectors of the clothing and textiles industry.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated December 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on how many people were employed in the (a) weaving, (b) spinning, (c) dying, (d) finishing and making-up and (e) silk industry sectors of the clothing and textiles industry. (242414)
	Table 1 attached, shows the number of employee jobs in the weaving, spinning, finishing and making-up, and silk industries in Great Britain in 2006.
	Estimates of employment are usually provided using the Labour Force Survey. However because of the interest in industrial sector, your question has been answered using the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI), which provides estimates at the 4-digit Standard Industrial Classification 2003 (SIC03) level.
	The ABI is a business survey which provides estimates of employment according to the number of jobs. The estimates exclude people who are self-employed workers in the industry sectors requested. Please note that dyeing employment estimates cannot be provided separately using 4-digit SIC03, and estimates for the silk industry are also included under weaving and spinning.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the Annual Business Inquiry are subject to margins of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of employee jobs in selected clothing and textile industries( 1) , 200 6  Great Britain 
			   Thousand 
			 Weaving(2) 7 
			 Spinning(3) 5 
			 Finishing and Making-up(4) 86 
			 Silk(5) 3 
			 (1) Using four-digit Standard Industrial Classification 2003 (SIC03) (2) The four digit SIC03 codes used are 1721-1725 (which includes weaving of silk) (3 )The four digit SIC03 codes used are 1711-1717 (which includes spinning of silk) (4 )The four digit SIC03 codes used are 1740-1830 (5) The four digit SIC03 codes used are 1715 and 1724  Source: Annual Business Inquiry

Palestine

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Government aid to Palestinians.

Douglas Alexander: All UK development aid is carefully monitored for effectiveness. The World Bank confirms that our support to the Palestinian Authority has helped it deliver essential services to the Palestinian people. Our funding to the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency supports health, education and other services for over 4 million Palestinian refugees, including in Gaza, where aid agencies operate within severe Israeli controls. Palestinians and the Israeli authorities are increasingly confident in the Palestinian security forces, which we are helping reform. Our support to private sector development has helped secure $725 million worth of investment deals for Palestinian businesses.

Palestine

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Government aid to Palestinians; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: All UK development aid is carefully monitored for effectiveness. The World Bank confirms that our support to the Palestinian Authority has helped it deliver essential services to the Palestinian people. Our funding to the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency supports health, education and other services for over 4 million Palestinian refugees, including in Gaza, where aid agencies operate within severe Israeli controls. Palestinians and the Israeli authorities are increasingly confident in the Palestinian security forces, which we are helping reform. Our support to private sector development has helped secure $725 million worth of investment deals for Palestinian businesses.

Burma: United Nations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to Burma has had with the UN Secretary General on his forthcoming trip to Burma; and when his visit is scheduled.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary regularly discuss the situation in Burma with the UN Secretary General. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised the issue with Ban Ki Moon as recently as 9 December.
	The UN Secretary-General announced earlier this month that he would not now be travelling to Burma later this month, because he did not believe the conditions were right. He expressed his frustration at the lack of progress made; called on the regime to respond to the concerns of the international community; and urged all countries with influence to encourage the regime to co-operate with the UN. We share his concerns and echo his call for the international community, and particularly Burma's neighbours, to do more to support his efforts. Should the Secretary-General choose to visit next year he will, of course, have our full support. We continue to believe that the UN Goods Offices Mission, and Ban Ki Moon's personal engagement, can have a positive impact on Burma's transition to democracy.

Russia: Foreign Relations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment of  (a) UK-Russian relations and  (b) EU-Russian relations the Government has carried out since the war in Georgia; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Russia is important to achieving UK and EU objectives in many areas, including regional security, energy and climate change. The UK has serious concerns over Russian policy and actions in Georgia, and is supporting multilateral efforts, including through the EU, to broker solutions.
	Differences remain unresolved in bilateral relations, including over the Litvinenko case the British Council's work in Russia, on which we continue to pursue satisfactory outcomes. The Government engage with Russia in pursuit of UK interests, including through high level dialogue. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met Medvedev in the margins of the G20 summit in Washington to discuss the international financial crisis. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met with Foreign Minister Lavrov most recently on 4 December in the margins of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Ministerial in Helsinki.
	Although the strong trade and investment relationship between Russian and the UK has been hit by the financial crisis, both the Lord Mayor of London and my noble Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, Lord Mandelson have led business delegations to Russian this autumn to promote the interests of British businesses and encourage co-operation between governments on trade and investment. The Government have supported both the From Russia exhibition in London and the Turner exhibition in Moscow.
	Our engagement with Russia allows us to express serious concerns about Russian policies as well as to work together with Russia where it is clearly in our interest to do so. The UK believes it is right to pursue a comprehensive and binding successor to the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement which will help the UK and EU partners to build a more stable, long-term relationship with Russia based on the rule of law. However, in order to achieve this, Russia must meet its commitments under the 12 August and 8 September ceasefire agreements in full and work constructively in the Geneva peace talks. The extent to which Russia meets these commitments will determine the pace of development of the EU-Russia relationship, which the EU will keep under close review in light of the EU-Russia Audit.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Government policies to encourage safe and sensible social drinking.

Dawn Primarolo: A cross-Government ministerial group monitors and manages the delivery and effectiveness of the Government's alcohol strategy. Information on progress against the actions in 'Safe. Sensible. Social. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy' (a copy of which has already been placed in the Library) as well as statistical data assessing reductions in alcohol harm or changes in public awareness are published on Government websites.
	Latest data shows the following information on progress against the actions in 'Safe. Sensible. Social. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy' as well as statistical data on alcohol harms or changes in public awareness:
	alcohol related violent crime fell by a third between 1997 and 2007-08, from approximately 1.5 million incidents to fewer than 1 million;
	public perception of drunk and rowdy behaviour in public places in their area being a fairly big or very big problem has risen from 22 per cent. to 25 per cent. over the last five years;
	the proportion of 11 to 15-year-olds who have ever drunk alcohol is falling, from 61 per cent. in 2003 to 54 per cent. in 2007;
	average weekly alcohol consumption by those 11 to 15-year-olds who do drink has varied since 2000 with no clear pattern or trend, however average consumption in 2007 was lower than that in 2006;
	assessment of the most recent campaign to reduce underage sales of alcohol, Tackling Underage Sales of Alcohol, has shown a 20 per cent. fall in failure rates since the last campaign in 2006;
	the 2008 review of the Licensing Act found a 5 per cent. decrease in serious violent crime at night, 3 per cent. reduction in less serious wounding at night since implementation of the Act, although between October 2005 and September 2006 there was a small increase in offences reported between 3 am and 6 am; and
	alcohol-related hospital admissions are estimated to have risen by about 80,000 admissions a year over the five years 2002-03 to 2006-07.
	On 3 December 2008, we announced proposed legislation for powers to create and enforce a mandatory code for alcohol retailers and £4.5 million of investment in an enforcement campaign to tackle alcohol-related crime and antisocial behaviour.
	By introducing a mandatory code, we are acting to restrict irresponsible alcohol promotions, including those based on price. We will act in necessary and proportionate ways to help ensure that the environment in which alcohol is consumed does not encourage excessive consumption.
	Alongside this announcement, we published a summary of the responses to the recent public alcohol consultation and the Sheffield University School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) review of the effects of alcohol price and promotion. Both documents have been placed in the Library.
	The Department's new Alcohol Improvement Programme will bring together new and existing guidance, data, good practice and training materials for NHS primary care trusts (PCTs) and alcohol practitioners, along with direct support to those PCTs with the highest rates of alcohol-related hospital admissions.
	Consumers will increasingly have available the information they need to make informed decisions on their consumption.
	Industry will be expected to play its part in promoting safer and more sensible drinking.
	Advice and support for those who are at most risk will be made available through the effective commissioning and delivery of NHS preventive interventions and treatment.

Cancer: Health Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that GPs are always informed about the treatment and follow-up care of cancer patients undertaken by hospitals.

Ann Keen: The General Medical Council has made it clear that it is the duty of every doctor to work with colleagues in the ways that best serve patients' interests and, subject to patient consent, to keep colleagues well informed when sharing the care of patients. The "Cancer Reform Strategy" (CRS) published in December 2007 (a copy of which has already been placed in the Library) recommended that commissioners and service providers should ensure they have robust local systems in place to enable patients to experience good continuity of care. Through the NHS IT modernisation programme the Department is introducing an electronic care records service that will allow all clinicians involved in a patient's care to have access to the key information that they need.
	The National Cancer Survivorship Initiative will look at ways we can improve the ongoing support for people living with and beyond cancer and test sites to pilot models of care will focus on all aspects of the care pathway, including assessment, care planning and immediate post treatment approaches to care.
	In addition, the National Chemotherapy Advisory Group's independent draft report "Chemotherapy Services in England: Ensuring quality and safety" reinforces the importance of continuity of care. It recommends summary records of chemotherapy treatment are copied to patients and their general practitioners on completion of the treatment and subsequent care plans drawn up and communicated to any relevant health care professionals involved in the management of the patients' care. This report is still subject to consultation until 4 February 2009, and the final report is expected to be published in the spring 2009.

Cancer: Nuclear Power Stations

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research on the potential for causal correlation between incidence of cancer and proximity to nuclear power stations.

Dawn Primarolo: The independent advisory Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE), which was established in 1985 in response to the final recommendation of the Black report (Black, 1984) have undertaken and published a number of studies on the incidence of cancer in populations in the neighbourhood of nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom. Details of all COMARE's publications are available on its website
	www.comare.org.uk.
	In 2005 COMARE published its tenth report, which reviewed earlier evidence and presented new data relating to childhood cancers around nuclear installations in Great Britain. By doing this, they investigated whether the claims of an excess of childhood cancer around some specific nuclear installations are a regular feature of the majority of the largest nuclear sites in Great Britain.
	The peer-reviewed report concluded that no evidence of excess numbers of cases in any local 25 km area around nuclear power stations, which would include either primary exposure to radioactive discharges or secondary exposure from re-suspended material. This report puts various allegations of other cancer clusters around nuclear installations into context.
	The 11th COMARE report shows that childhood leukaemia and many other types of childhood cancers do not occur evenly within the population of Great Britain. There are a variety of incidence rates in different geographical and social circumstances and these differ more that would be expected than from simple random or chance variations. This uneven distribution (or clustering) occurs at all levels of population distribution throughout the country, down to very local levels such as those of electoral wards. It is not known why childhood cancers tend to cluster like this. Much attention has been given to interactions between exposure to infections and immune responses. Other possible explanations have also been considered, including exposure to environmental agents. The analyses in this report have been carried out on the largest dataset of childhood cancer cases ever compiled anywhere in the world. The very large dataset gives considerable confidence in the results.
	To carry out the studies described in its report required a very large database and was compiled over a considerable time scale. The database was constructed from the National Registry of Childhood Tumours by staff of the Childhood Cancer Research Group in Oxford. The current dataset consists of 12,415 cases of childhood leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and 19,908 cases of children with solid tumours registered under the age of 15 in England, Wales and Scotland from 1969 to 1993 inclusive.

Departmental Data Protection

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many civil servants in his Department have been  (a) investigated,  (b) suspended and  (c) dismissed for (i) losing and (ii) deliberately disclosing (A) data stored on departmental equipment and (B) confidential information in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: In the past two years no member of the Department's staff has been investigated, suspended or dismissed for losing or deliberately disclosing either data stored on departmental equipment or confidential information.
	Prior to April 2006 the human resources records of the Department were not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate cost to establish the information requested.
	Policy and procedures on security are constantly reviewed. Data held on the Department's laptops and portable media devices, including memory sticks is encrypted to minimise the risk of confidential data being compromised should the devices be lost or stolen.

Departmental Procurement

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of invoices for goods and services procured from small and medium-sized businesses were paid within 10 days of receipt by  (a) his Department and  (b) the agencies for which his Department is responsible in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The commitment to pay invoices within 10 working days of receipt was made by the Prime Minister on 8 October 2008. Response to this initiative is being led by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), who advise that this applies only to central Government Departments at present and that no targets have yet been set. No data is available for prior years as there was no requirement at that time.
	The performance of Government Departments in paying invoices continues to be measured against the Public Sector Payment Policy, which set a target of payment within 30 days in line with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. The Act states that suppliers who are not paid within 30 days of the receipt of the invoice by the party billed are entitled to claim interest on the delayed payment. The Act makes no distinction between small and medium-sized businesses and other suppliers.
	The Department has configured its systems to enable its performance to be measured against both the 30-day and 10-day targets from November 2008 for all suppliers, regardless of size. The first formal data collection is being co-ordinated across Government by BERR based on November statistics. 98.02 per cent. of payments made by the Department in November were made within 10 working days of receipt of the invoice.

Depressive Illnesses: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people with mild or moderate depression in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally.
	Most people with depression are seen and treated in primary care. However, data on the number of people with individual conditions seen in primary care—such as depression—is not held centrally. While data is available on the total number of people admitted to the care of a consultant in secondary care with depression, this is likely to exclude many patients diagnosed with mild to moderate depression.

Hospital Beds

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed discharges there were in  (a) each strategic health authority area,  (b) each primary care trust area and  (c) England in each of the last five years, broken down by (i) reason for delay and (ii) age of patient; and how many patients in each case were occupying an acute hospital bed.

Phil Hope: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
	Data on the reason for the delayed discharge is not collected centrally for primary care trusts.

Kidney Patients

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people required kidney dialysis in  (a) Halton,  (b) Cheshire and  (c) Merseyside in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many kidney dialysis units there were in the North West of England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information is not centrally available.
	Information on the number of patients on dialysis is collected by the UK Renal Registry. The annual reports containing analysis of data from 1997 to 2006 and can be found on the Renal Registry's website at the following website:
	www.renalreg.com

Mental Health Services

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are being treated in medium secure mental health services.

Phil Hope: The data collected records the numbers of mental health and learning disability secure unit beds in national health service units only, and the data includes high, medium and some low secure units. These figures only show NHS beds and not those commissioned by the NHS and provided by independent sector providers.
	The following table shows the average availability and daily occupancy of NHS secure unit beds, and learning disability secure unit beds in NHS units in England in 2007-08.
	
		
			  Average daily number of mental health and learning disability secure unit beds in NHS units—2007-08 
			   Number 
			 Available Mental Illness 3,159 
			 Occupancy Mental Illness 2,885 
			 Available Learning Disability 554 
			 Occupancy Learning Disability 508 
			  Note: The definitions of Mental Health and Learning Disability Secure Unit Beds, for the purposes of the KH03 annual beds collection, are: Mental Illness—Other ages, Secure unit an AGE GROUP INTENDED of National Code 8 'Any age', a BROAD PATIENT GROUP CODE of National Code 5 'Patients with mental illness' and a CLINICAL CARE INTENSITY of National Code 51 'for intensive care: specially designated ward for patients needing containment and more intensive management'. This is not to be confused with intensive nursing where a patient may require one to one nursing while on a standard ward. Learning disabilities—Other ages, Secure unit an AGE GROUP INTENDED of National Code 8 'Any age', a BROAD PATIENT GROUP CODE of National Code 6 'Patients with learning difficulties' and a CLINICAL CARE INTENSITY of National Code 61 'designated or interim secure unit'.  Source: Department of Health Dataset KH03

Mental Health Services: Ethnic Groups

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the findings of the Healthcare Commission's report on the 2006 national census of inpatients in mental health and learning disability services, Count Me In, with respect to the diagnosis, medication and accommodation of patients from ethnic minorities.

Phil Hope: The Healthcare Commission published its report on the 2008 Count Me In census on 27 November. Count Me In does not collect information about patients' diagnosis or medication.
	We welcomed the report and concur with its principle conclusions. Mental health services still need to do more to meet the needs of diverse communities and tackle inequalities in mental health. Our Delivering Race Equality action plan, supported by over 400 new community development workers across the country, has already helped to deliver progress and remains the blueprint for services to follow.

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of each sexually transmitted infection were confirmed in each month of the last four years.

Dawn Primarolo: Data for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosed in a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic are not currently available on a monthly basis. The latest annual data are published in "All new STI episodes seen at GUM clinics in the UK: 1998 to 2007", a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
	In addition to STIs diagnosed in a GUM clinic, the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) provides screening to asymptomatic people aged under 25 years of age in England. The NCSP was launched in 2003 when a phased implementation programme started. The following table shows the number of young people between the ages of 13 to 24 screened and diagnosed with Chlamydia each month between 1 April 2004 and 30 September 2008.
	
		
			  Month  Total number of  Chlamydia  screens  Total number of confirmed  Chlamydia  positives 
			 April 2004 2,563 288 
			 May 2004 2,870 329 
			 June 2004 3,164 364 
			 July 2004 3,853 480 
			 August 2004 3,870 462 
			 September 2004 4,996 591 
			 October 2004 5,482 569 
			 November 2004 7,418 722 
			 December 2004 5,096 546 
			 January 2005 6,961 739 
			 February 2005 8,013 842 
			 March 2005 9,018 852 
			 April 2005 8,472 884 
			 May 2005 8,269 818 
			 June 2005 7,921 793 
			 July 2005 7,178 753 
			 August 2005 6,856 671 
			 September 2005 8,618 900 
			 October 2005 9,721 977 
			 November 2005 12,987 1,150 
			 December 2005 8,914 832 
			 January 2006 10,793 1,032 
			 February 2006 10,654 1,020 
			 March 2006 12,335 1,173 
			 April 2006 8,866 855 
			 May 2006 11,338 1,048 
			 June 2006 9,925 968 
			 July 2006 10,168 1,072 
			 August 2006 11,159 1,310 
			 September 2006 12,894 1,258 
			 October 2006 14,423 1,546 
			 November 2006 16,553 1,568 
			 December 2006 11,051 1,081 
			 January 2007 18,286 1,805 
			 February 2007 17,911 1,639 
			 March 2007 20,587 1,855 
			 April 2007 17,241 1,662 
			 May 2007 20,941 1,930 
			 June 2007 20,204 1,861 
			 July 2007 20,695 1,998 
			 August 2007 18,958 1,857 
			 September 2007 25,238 2,199 
			 October 2007 30,371 2,627 
			 November 2007 36,726 2,924 
			 December 2007 23,958 1,919 
			 January 2008 37,868 3,167 
			 February 2008 46,947 3,542 
			 March 2008 44,357 3,391 
			 April 2008 45,403 3,730 
			 May 2008 42,002 3,373 
			 June 2008 38,714 3,147 
			 July 2008 39,793 3,321 
			 August 2008 37,836 3,189 
			 September 2008 59,014 4,224 
			 Total 945,449 83,853 
			  Notes: 1. Total number of screens includes all screens done through the NCSP irrespective of result. Therefore please note positivity cannot be calculated using these data presented since the denominator when calculating positivity is based on positive and negative screens only.  2. The data from the NCSP Core Dataset are for Chlamydia screens conducted within the NCSP outside of GUM clinics only.  3. The data presented includes all screening tests done through the NCSP, and excludes diagnostic tests and tests of sexual contacts.  4. The data available from the NCSP are the number of screens and not the number of patients screened.

Smoking: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have ceased smoking following participation in NHS smoking cessation measures in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: Information is not available in the format requested. Smoking cessation data is available at primary care trust (PCT) level. West Hertfordshire and East and North Hertfordshire Primary Care Trusts were formed on 1 October 2006. Data for these PCTs and their predecessor organisations are available for the years 2005-06 to 2007-08.
	Information on the number of successful quitters for 2007-08 is available from the annual Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2007 to March 2008. This information can be found in table 3.5 on pages 28-30. Information on the number of successful quitters for 2006-07 is available from the annual Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2006 to March 2007. This information can be found in table 2.12 and table 5.4 on pages 18-24 and 65-67 respectively. Information the number of successful quitters for 2005-06 is available from the annual Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2005 to March 2006. This information can be found in table 4.12 on page 37-43. These publications have already been placed in the Library.

WiFi: Health Hazards

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the chairman of the Health Protection Agency on the possible health implications of the use of wireless technology;
	(2)  what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the potential effects on health of the use of wireless technology.

Dawn Primarolo: Exposure guidelines published by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), are based on a comprehensive review of health effects of electromagnetic fields from sources including WiFi, mobile telephones and any wireless technology that emits radio signals. All these wireless devices are expected to comply with the ICNIRP exposure guidelines following the recommendations of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, chaired by Professor Sir William Stewart who now holds the position of Chair of the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
	The HPA issued the following advice in 2007:
	"There is no consistent evidence to date that WiFi and WLANs adversely affect the health of the general population. The signals are very low power, typically 0.1 watt (100 milliwatts) in both the computer and the router (access point) and the results so far show exposures are well within internationally accepted (ICNIRP) guidelines. Based on current knowledge and experience, radio frequency (RF) exposures from WiFi are likely to be lower than those from mobile phones."
	The HPA is currently carrying out a systematic programme of exposure measurements from wireless local area networks (WLANs). Further information about this study and wireless technology more generally is available on the HPA website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebContentAreaLanding/Page/1153822623782